Automatic firearm with stationary barrel.



M. KNUTGEN AUToMATm mmm WITH STATIONARY BARREL. l APPLICATION FILED JUNE Z1, 1910. 993,175. Patented May 23,1911. I

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M.A 'KND'TGENl AUTOMATIC FIBEARM WITH STATIONARY BARREL. l

APPLIUATION FILED JUNft.1 21, 1910. I Patented May 23, 1911.

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APPLICATION FILED JUNI: 21, 1910. y 993175. Patented May 23,1911.

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w uATHrAs xNTeEN, or coLoGNE, GERMANY.

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y Specification of Letters Patent. 153,1;rated May 23, 1911'. Application mea :une a1, 1910. serial N6. 568,152.

To all whom 'it may concern: i a

Be it known that I, MATHIAs KNTGEN, a citizen vof Germany, residing at Cologneon-the-Rhine, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Firearms with Stationary Barrels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic re-arm with stationary barrel in which the breech block is pushed back by the gases formed by thecombustion of the charge and l wherein it is driven intov the position ready for shooting through the medium .of a spring or the equivalent thereof, which 1s tensioned on the back-movement of the breech block. l

The essential feature of the invention lies in a spring which at .the beginning opposes resistance to the return-movement of the breech block which,however when the breech block is moved back to some extent, is released, thus assistin or effecting the further return-movement o the breech block and the tensioning of the spring. This arrangement permits of opposing to the returnmovement of the breech block in thebeginning an appreciable resistance while avoiding any danger of said block not being completely moved back.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, the new arrangement is represented in.various forms of embodiment.

Figure 1 shows the fire-arm in lon itudinal section and partly in elevation;-F1g. 2 is a se'ctionalplanV thereof; Figs. 3 and 4 show the rear-end ofthe gun in longitudinal section,withlthe parts in diiferent positions;

Fig-5 is a modification partly in section and ,y elevation; Figs. 6 and 7 show in longitudi nal section and in upper plan-view, partly in section, further modifications.; Fig. 6a a.

cross section on line (5a-6, Fig. 6; Fig. 6b a 4 5 siinilarfsection showing the parts in different positions; Figs. 8 to 11 show the new arrangement in use with a machine gun. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 9 a section in unner plan view of a part of the 56 mechanical gun. The Figs. 10 `and 11 are cross-sections taken on the .planes of. the lines C-D and E-F of Fig. 8.'

The breech block 1 carries an arm 2 by which it is slidably guided on a bolt 3 fastened to the butt-plate. The bolt 3 is p rovided with a spiral spring 4 which on the one hand bears at the rear end against the butt-plate and on the other hand against the arm 2l of the breech block and constitutes the actual closing spring. The breech block has a pin 5 carrying a roller 6, which engages the hammer 8 pivoted at 7. The pivotal point of this hammer is located below the roller 6. The hammer is engaged ynear its pivotal point by a firing spring 9 used for driving it from the position ready for shooting against the firing pin 13. The upper extremlty of the hammer has pivotally fixed thereto, a .rod 10 with an auxiliary spring 11 mounted thereon. This spring bears a ainst a collar 12, engaging with suitableplns the slots 14 of the arm 2 of breech block 1. The arm 2i carries a tripper 15 influenced by a spring 16 that tends to maintain the tripper 1n the position shown in Fig. 1. y

Fig. 1 shows the position of the'breech block after the closing'of the breech has ltaken place. On the driving back of the breech block by the gases formed on discharging, said block is pressed against the hammer 8 by means of the roller 6.` As now 4the spring 11 engages a long lever-arm of said hammer, whereas the roller 6 engages a short one, avery strong force is required to overcome the resistance of the spring 11 and to turn the hammer. 8. Y.VVhenthis resistance has been overcome and the breech block has moved back by a given amount, the hammer is fully thrown over by the latter,- thus allowing block 1 with the` roller 6 to glide freely thereover, as shown in Fig. 3. The hammer 8 and the springy 11 can thus no longer keep the breech block from-moving back; on the contrary the previously ten-v sioned spring 11 is released and acts under assistance of the tripper 15 on the arm 2 of the block, thus eifecting the rearward move- 15 freelyy gliding over collar 12 and spring- 11. During this operation a complete return of the hammer`8 is prevented by pawls eoA device and influenced by an arm 21 while. pawl 19 is actuated by the trigger. The

.hammer is provided with a nose 23, with which it bears against the pawls 20 and 19 as shown in Fig. 4. Before retracting the trigger, arm 21 is pushed back so that an abutment 24 thereof turns pawl 20, thus withdrawing it from nose 23 of the hammer. Upon retracting the trigger, it bears with one arm 25 against a rod 26 pivoted to a lever 27. The latter bears with one arm against a projection of'pawl 19, and upon the retraction of the trigger, lever 27 is turned in such a manner that it depresses pawl 19. In this way spring 9 is free to swing hammer 8 toward firing pin 13 and ignite the cartridge, whereupon the operat1on is repeated.

For allowing hammer 8 to be cooked by hand after the insertion of a new cartridgefrarne, arm 2 has an arm 29, carrying a roller 28 which is adapted to engage a lever 30. One arm `of this lever is so bent as to act iirst` with but a small leverage against the roller, thus permitting a ready return of the hammer.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, hammer 8 is rotatable on an arm 33, pivoted at 32. By this arrangement the roller 6 carried by breech block 1, engages the hammer directly' above the pivot thereof with the result of opposing a resistance as large as possible to the cooking movement of the hammer. The roller may be so arranged relative to the pivotal point of the hammer, that its lower edge is alined with said pivot, as the hammer is able to yield so as to allow the breech block with the roller 6 to glide over it. The arrangement may also be such that the revolving bolt of the hammer is yieldin ly mounted, so that the hammer with said bolt, may give way accordingly as soon as it is turned to such an amount that the roller glides thereover. y

The fire-arm represented in Figs. 6 and 7 is provided with two barrels and is so arranged, thatk each barrel may be loaded automatically, with either balls or small shot. The barrels are in superposition and the magazine for accommodating the cartridge-frame for'the upper barrel is ar-V ranged laterally. Two breech bolts 1a and 1b are provided, said bolts being detachably connected to arm 2. The latter carries at its forward u per end a support 2 in'which a bolt 34 is sl1dably and rotatably mounted. This bolt has a pair of noses 35, 35a and is perforated as at 36 for the accommodation of a spindle 37, the construction being such that the bolt may slide in its bearings but not rotate on the spindle. The spindle is mounted in a bearing 2b of arm 2, and it lcarries at its end wedges 39, 39a, while in the breech'bolts 1a and 1b corresponding dle ai in 43. of anfarm 42, pivoted to the butt-p ate. This arm is provided with a small handle 45 for'rotating disk 38 with the spindle -37 and the bolt 34 by means of pin '43 and ta-ppets 38a. In the position of the parts as shown, the bolt 34 with its nose 35y is placed opposite the'iring inf13 of the breech bolt 1a andl the inclined) 39 of spindle 37 engages the notch 40. On

discharging, the hammer 8 is moved toward' bolt 34 and the latter strikes with its nose 35-against the ufiring pin of breech bolt la. Owing to the powder-gases, formed when discharge takes place, the breechbolt 1a is move-d rearward, thereby forcing back arm 2. If the upper barrel is to be used, arm 42 is turned to move the' inclined piece 39a of spindle 37 into notch 41 and to bring nose 35a in a position opposite the firing pin 13 of breech bolt 1b, so that upon a discharge through the upper barrel, a shot is fired and said bolt is moved back. Between the bolt 34 and the bearing 2b a spring 44 may be provided for returning the bolt into the former posit-ion.' The butt-plate is provided with a plate or an arm 46 pivoted at 46a, which is furnished with an extension piece 47, that engages the butt-plate. To the latter is pivot-ed a lever 48- which by a spring 49 is pressed against the shoulder 47. In the position of the arm as shown in Fig. 1,

the lever with its tapering end bears against' a bevel-face of the extension 47 of the arm 48, so as to prevent the latter from accidental displacement. If the gun is to be pointed, the arm is turned into the position shown in Fig. 5, so that lever 48 bears against a face 50 of the extension 47 that prevents arm 46 from being turned back. When the musket is pointed, it rests with this arm 4on` the shoulder of the shooter, thus giving him steadiness and stability.

The arm is .further provided with a lug 51 used for attaching the usual carrying sling. Owing to such arrangement, the .gun may readily be brought into a position ready for shooting.

The machine gun, shown in Figs. 8 to 11 consists of a case-like body 54, slidably and rotatably supported by a suitable standard, and of a cylindrical piece 55, receiving the barrels 56. In the rear of the two barrels two breech blocks 1, l movable in a longitudinal direction of the case are arranged,

able in a collar 12 rotatable on arm 2 `of block V1 or l, said collar supporting the spring 11, bearing against the lever 8. Here however, in contradistinction to the foregoing arrangement, the springfor advanclng the breech block Kis dispensedwith. This forwardA movement of either block takes place when the other block has been pushed back by means of the pinion 60. Furthermore the lever 8 is here not used fordriving the firing pin, an auxilia being provided for each breech block. 'The hammers 61 are .-under vthe influence `of springs 62, against which they areturned on they yrearward movement of the blocks, yto clear slots 63. thereof. The hammers 61 have tangs 64 underneath which pawls 65 are arranged. These pawls enga e with an arm recesses of rods 66. When uring the forward movement the one or theother breech block passes with its slot l63 over vhammer 61, the latter .is moved upwardly into the slot l63 by spring 62, its movement beinglimited by the.pawl 65 occupying a position opposite no'se 64. When the breech block has nearly reached the final position,

i it strikes with the arm 2 against the rod 66 moving it forwardly and thus turning the pawl 65 to retract the latter from the nose leo vpivoted to vthe/ 64. Owing to the partial release of spring 62, a further rotation of the hammer is thus produced, to force it against firing pin 13 and ignite the cartridge.

1. In an automatlc gun, a-breech block having a' rearwardly extendlng arm and adapted to be moved backward bythe pres-Vv sure of' the exploded charge, a hammer frame and'operatively engaged by the breech block, a pressure spring interpliosed between said arm andmeans for Vadvancing said hammer, block.

.2. Inan automatic gun, 'a breech block adapted to be moved backward by the pressure of the exploded charge, a hammer pivoted to the gun frame and operatively connected to saia block, a tripper pivoted to hammer 61 the block and adapted to engage a fixed abutment, f a spring intermediate hammer and tripper, and a closing spring adapted to advance the block.

3l In an automatic gun, a breech block carrying a roller and adapted to be moved backward bythe pressure of the exploded charge, a hammer pivoted to the gun frame and engaging the.vroller, a tripper pivotedk to the block, a spring engaging the hammer and detachably engaging the tripper, a closing spring engaging the rear end ofthe' block, and a fixed abutment" adapted to be engaged by the tripper for disengaging the Erst-named spring therefrom.

4. In an automatic gun, a breech block carrying a roller and adapted to be moved .backward by the pressure of the exploded charge, a reciprocative` arm, means forv coupling either bolt to said arm, firing pinsA slidable within said bolts, a hammer plvoted to the gun butt and operatively connected to the arm, a firing spring' engaging the hammer, ana-uxiliary. spring also engaging the hammer and adapted to oder a reslstance to the arm during the first stage of its rear-4 ward movement and to effect a subsequent completion of the rearward movement of the arm, a bolt between said hammer and lfiring pins, and means on said lastnamed bolt for operatively connecting it with .either firing MATHIAS KNTGEN.

vWitnesses:

Leurs VANDoRN, JOSEPH STOR'rrEN. 

